Foodie Chap With Nigella Lawson - Cookbook Author & TV Personality

British TV cook and author Nigella Lawson has been seducing us with her recipes and winning personality for almost two decades. Her no delusions of grandeur attitude made her and instant fan favorite. She made food sexy and desirable in the book and TV show "Nigelissima". She even spiced up British food that many wrote off as bland.

The BBC made her a household name around the world but she reached audiences here in the U.S. through Food Network, morning show and late night TV appearances and as host on hit ABC show "Taste".

Her latest book "Simply Nigella" reminds us that food, all food is to be enjoyed. "There are no guilty food pleasures" she told me, "you should simply feel good about what you like to eat". My favorite section in the book is dedicated to Bowlfood "food that is simultaneously soothing, bolstering, under demanding and sustaining". Dishes like Thai Turkey Meatballs and Drunken Noodles.

I first met Nigella soon after her first book Nigella Bites was published in 2000. We cooked at a friend Tony's house for a morning TV show. Her spunky spirit and self deprecating humor drew me in quickly. Plus her food was knockout.

Nigella has teased me for years about my in the kitchen one trick pony Shepherd's Pie. This British favorite has lamb at it's core and if cooked with beef it becomes Cottage Pie and with turkey Freedom Pie (I came up with "Freedom Pie" and once gave Nigella the recipe and I have yet to see it appear in one of her books). The Brit cook puts a new twist on my favorite pie, in the book: Spiced Indian Shepherd's Pie. The coriander, cumin and red pepper flakes provide the kick and sweet potatoes on top offer a nice alternative to the regular spuds. The full recipe is below.

We were reunited over dinner at the "Simply Nigella" book party at Left Bank Brasserie in Larkspur, California. A terrifically tasty night, the menu inspired by the book with a capacity crowd of 200, hosted by Chef Roland Passot and Book Passage.

Enjoy my tasty talk with the cook who shows us how to eat without guilt and to enjoy all of life's food pleasures, to soothe and uplift - Nigella Lawson.

Enjoy and Bon Appetit.

- Liam

Indian-Spiced Shepherd's Pie

Serves 4
 
Ingredients:

For the topping:

• 1kg sweet potatoes
• 2 teaspoons sea salt flakes
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons white peppercorns
• 6 cardamom pods, cracked
• peeled strips from 1 lime, preferably unwaxed, and juice of ½ lime
• approx 1 litre cold water
• 4cm piece (20g) fresh ginger, peeled, plus more for filling (see below)

For the filling:

• 3 cloves garlic, peeled
• 4cm piece (20g) fresh ginger, peeled
• 1 onion, peeled
• seeds from 6 cardamom pods
• 2 teaspoons cumin seeds
• 2 teaspoons coriander seeds
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons cold-pressed coconut oil
• 2 teaspoons garam masala
• 1 teaspoon dried chilli flakes
• 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
• 500g minced lamb, preferably organic
• 1 x 400g can chopped tomatoes
• 100g red lentils
• 1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
• 2 x 15ml tablespoons Worcestershire sauce

To decorate:
4 teaspoons nibbed or finely chopped pistachios
 
Method:

• Preheat your oven to 220C/gas mark 7. Start with the topping, cutting each of the sweet potatoes into approx 4-5cm chunks.
• Put the unpeeled potato chunks into a large saucepan (with a lid) and add the salt, peppercorns, cracked cardamom pods and lime strips (you don't need the ginger just yet), then add just enough cold water (about 1 litre) to cover.
• Bring to the boil, then reduce the heat slightly, put the lid on and cook for about 30 minutes – or until the sweet potato is tender – while you get on with the filling.
• Slice the garlic and ginger roughly, quarter the onion, and put them all into the bowl of a food processor with the cardamom, cumin and coriander seeds, and whiz until finely chopped. Alternatively, use a bowl and a stick blender, or just chop everything very finely by hand.
• Heat the coconut oil in a heavy-based pan (with a lid), and then tip this paste in.
• Cook for a few minutes or so to soften, stirring frequently, then stir in the garam masala, chilli flakes and turmeric, and tip in the lamb mince, turning it in the spiced onion mixture and breaking it up gently.
• Add the chopped tomatoes, then fill the empty can with cold water and, swilling it around, pour this in as well. Stir in the red lentils.
• Season with the salt and Worcestershire sauce, then bring to a bubble, clamp on the lid, lower the heat and simmer for about 25 minutes, stirring once or twice to stop it catching on the bottom of the saucepan.
• When the sweet potatoes are cooked, drain them, reserving the liquid, and leave until cool enough to peel away the skins. Put the flesh into a wide bowl.
• Mash the sweet potatoes, using a potato masher, or any gadget of your choice (even a fork would do) and slowly beat in some of the potato cooking water – adding as much as you need to make the mash a less dense, more spreadable consistency – and squeeze in the juice of half the lime.
• Grate the peeled ginger for the topping on to a plate – I use a coarse microplane grater – then spoon the grated ginger into the centre of a piece of kitchen roll. Moving quickly, pull up the edges of the paper and twizzle them, so you have a little wrapped swag-bag, then squeeze and wring out over the mash (an intense ginger juice will drip out). Beat this juice into the mash (above). Check the seasoning, tasting to see if you want any more lime or ginger, too.
• Once the lamb filling has had its time, ladle equally between 4 small ovenproof bowls or dishes of approx 400ml capacity (or a larger rectangular dish, measuring approx 30 x 20 x 5cm deep and 1.6-litre capacity), and then top with the mash, also dividing this equally between the bowls, spreading it to cover the rim of the dishes.
• Sit the dishes on an oven tray and place in the oven for 10-15 minutes (or, if you're cooking this in one larger dish, it will need 30-35 minutes). The mash should be piping hot (though it won't get a crust) with the mince bubbling underneath.
• On serving, sprinkle 1 teaspoon of nibbed pistachios over each bowl.

 
Make Ahead Note:

The pies can be assembled up to 2 days ahead. As soon as the pies are cool (and within 2 hours of making), cover each one and refrigerate until needed. Bake for an extra 10-15 minutes, making sure that the pies are piping hot in the centre before serving.

 
Visit her at www.nigella.com and follow her on Twitter @Nigella_Lawson and @nigellalawson on Instagram.